Unit 4: Political Geography, Patterns, and Processes - AP Human Geography 2024-25

AP Human Geography Unit 4

state

politically organized independent borders

requirements to be considered a state

1. defined borders

2. permanent residents

3. has government

4. recognized by other states

5. join UN

sovereignty

a government’s right to control territory, military, and defense.

nation

a group of people in an area who think themselves as one based on common heritage and culture

example of nations

The Cherokee people

nation-state

an ethnically homogenous state with a sovereign government and clearly defined borders

examples of nation-states

Japan, Iceland

stateless nation

a nation that has no territory of its own but should

example of stateless nation

The Basque people of Northern Spain

multi-state nation

a nation of people that live in more than one state

examples of multistate nation

the Korean people

irrendentism

attempting to acquire territories in inhabited neighboring states. fueled by the belief that it was once lost and must be regained

example of irrendentism

Russian troops trying to annex part of Ukraine

multinational state

a state that includes more than one nation within its borders

examples of multinational state

Canada (French Canadian, Native Americans, English Canadians)

autonomous region

subdivision/dependant territory of a state that has a degree of self-government (autonomy) in decision making

example of autonomous regions

Native American Reservations

semi-autonomous regions

subdivision/dependant territory of a state that do not have a degree of self-government (autonomy) in decision making

examples of semi-autonomous regions

Greenland, Scotland (Great Britain), Hong Kong

colonialism (time period, powers, where, why)

15-18th centuries.

Portugal, France, Spain, Great Britain

Colonized the Americas

3 G’s, mercantilism, and settlement

new imperialism

19th century

Great Britain, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Germany

Focused on Africa and Asia

Nationalism and cheap labor

self-determination

belief that people have the right to choose their own political status.

Independence Movements/Decolonization

achieving independence from colonial power. inspired by Pres. Woodrow Wilson’s push for peace.

political power (geographically)

control over people, land, and resources

not always confined within a state’s border (international affairs)

examples of political power

neocolonialism, shatterbelts, chokepoints,

territoriality

process used by groups/organizations to claim power over an area, its people, and its resources

neocolonialism (new colonialism)

the use of economic, social, and political pressures to control/influence countries (especially former colonies)

examples of neocolonialism

Kenya needs railroad; China pays for it; Kenya in debt to China; China control railroad

chokepoints

an area on land or sea that has to be passed to reach another destination. (power of access)

examples of chokepoints (sea)

narrow, strategic passage way to another difficult pass (canal or strait) ex: Panama Canal

examples of chokepoints (land)

railroad or gas pipeline

shatterbelts (type 1)

region caught between more powerful states in conflict. tug of war (external pressure)

shatterbelts (type 2)

region where different nations/cultural group come into contact and have conflict with one another (internal pressure)

definition

claimed, negotiated, or captured boundaries

delimitation

drawn on a map

ex: Berlin Conference

demarcation

markers physically placed on the ground

administer

manage and maintain the border

antecedent boundaries

ancient/prehistoric boundaries that existed before area was settled (usually physical features)

subsequent boundaries

boundaries developed because of conflict or cultural changes (war and migration) (common)

consequent boundaries

type of subsequent boundary

takes peoples’ differences/cultural landscape into account

superimposed boundaries

boundaries imposed by outside forces

ex: Africa via Berlin conference

geometric boundaries

boundaries drawn using grid systems (lat. and long.; straight line)

relic boundaries

former boundaries that no longer function, but their imprint is still present on CEP landscape

physical political boundaries

boundaries that follow an agreed upon feature in the natural landscape (ex. Tex-Mex border - Rio Grande River)

definitional boundaries (communication breakdown)

when conflict happens because the agreement can be interpreted differently`

locational boundaries

agree on definition, but not location of border on map

operational boundaries

agreed boundaries, but disagreement on boundaries function

allocation boundaries

disputes over natural resources that lie in/across the boundaries (underground oil and fresh water)

superimposed boundaries

boundaries imposed on another group by outside powers (conquerers), ignoring the cultural landscape (ex: Africa and Europe

enclave

a start or part of a state surrounded by another state (ex. Vatican City)

exclave

a part of a state separated from the rest of the state

Peace of Westphalia (1648)

the territory defines the society

commodification

the process of placing a price on goods

unitary government

a form of government where all the power lies with the central government

federal government

a form of government where the power is shared between the central and lower levels of government

confederation (system of government)

a system of government where the states have more power than the central government

devolution

the movement of power down from the central government

reapportionment

when the voting districts are redrawn based on the census

splitting

when a political party is split into many districts to minimize their effect

minority-majority districts

when a minority is put into a district where they are the majority

gerrymandering

the process of drawing voting districts to give one party the advantage

unilateralism

acting in one’s self interest